.

Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Grandma Violet and Grandpa Walter Over the Years

From the Fortress of SolitudePleasant Grove

The sky is dark and heavy with clouds this evening as I type by the yellow glow of the lamp. I hear rain water moving through the gutters outside the front window. Behind me I see a sliver of light from the setting sun stretch across Utah Lake. The valley seems peaceful below. Rain has fallen for several hours now - light then heavy then light again. It can't seem to make up its mind.

Nothing profound tonight, just a comment on the the passing of time as seen through two photographs taken of my mother's parents, Violet and Walter Mattson. Both pictures were taken in California. The first shows a happy couple at the start of their married life.

The bottom shows the same couple towards the end of their married life. Its apparent how they changed over the years. The passing of years and the lessons of time changed them. They scratched out a living on a ranch in Montana. They raised three strong children and lost a baby on a cold winter's morning, and in the end their health failed them. There were good days and not so good days. Through it all they had each other and that's what I remember most about my grandparents.

So tonight we take a moment and remember two people that survived the best and worst life had to offer. And in the end they are remembered with fond, loving memories by a large and growing family stretching from coast to coast.

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Warning! Please Read On.

Tracing one's genealogy can be a tricky endeavor. Once you move past three or four generations, the information you discover on the internet may or may not be accurate. What you read on this blog represents the best I've found using Ancestry.com, The LDS Church's Family Search, and Google. Corrections are gladly welcome. Please send your information to AnAmericanDynasty@gmail.com

I'm interested in information on two family lines in particular.

I'm searching for our Vercellino family from Northern Italy and our Mattson /Tornberg family in Sweden. Again, you can reach me at AnAmericanDynasty@gmail.com